In a recent Science journal article entitled “Strong, Light, Multifunctional Fibers of Carbon Nanotubes with Ultrahigh Conductivity,” Professor Anson Ma and colleagues from Rice University detail their recent breakthrough revolutionizing the use of carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are rolled cylinders of graphene sheets that have unprecedented mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. In the past, many of the potential real-world applications of CNTs remained unfulfilled because researchers experienced great difficulties dispersing and processing CNTs into macroscopic objects while maintaining their fascinating properties. To address this problem, Dr. Ma and colleagues from Rice developed a scalable fluid-based process for spinning CNTs into lightweight and multifunctional fibers. These fibers combine the mechanical strength of carbon fibers with the specific electrical conductivity of metals, opening up the exciting possibility of using CNTs in aerospace, field-emission, and power-transmission applications. The article can be accessed at: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1228061.
Dr. Ma, who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge in the UK, joined UConn in August 2011 as an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering with a dual appointment in the Institute of Materials Science Polymer Program. He recently received the Distinguished Young Rheologist Award from TA Instruments, which recognizes young faculty members who show exceptional promise in the field of rheology. Prior to that, he received the National Science Foundation Early Concept Grant for Exploration Research (EAGER) award, which focuses on investigating the use of nanoparticles in the delivery of cancer drugs.
For the second time in four years, a University of Connecticut student has won a prestigious Marshall Scholarship.
Ethan Butler, a 2012 chemical engineering graduate and past president of the UConn chapter of Engineers Without Borders, will spend the next two years in the United Kingdom pursuing his graduate studies at one, and possibly two, of Britain’s finest academic and research institutions.
A resident of Southbury, Conn. who grew up on a Christmas tree farm, Butler is one of 34 students in the United States to receive the highly-competitive scholarship this year. He is the third student in UConn’s history to be a Marshall Scholar. The others were Michelle Prairie in 2009 and Virginia DeJohn Anderson in 1976.
The Marshall Scholarship is Britain’s flagship government-funded program for American students who represent some of the finest and brightest college graduates in the United States. It is named after former Secretary of State George C. Marshall, and was established as a gesture of gratitude to the people of the United States for the assistance the U.S. provided after WWII under the Marshall Plan.
While in the U.K., Butler hopes to study advanced chemical engineering and innovation, entrepreneurship, and management at Imperial College London, one of the world’s top engineering and scientific universities known for the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography, and the foundation of fiber optics. His second choice is the University of Manchester, where physicist Ernest Rutherford ushered in the nuclear age and Professors Freddie Williams and Tom Kilburn developed the first programmable computer. He will find out his destination in the spring.
Butler’s long-term goal is to develop sustainable, community-based water and energy technologies in order to supply clean water and renewable energies to people in developing countries while simultaneously creating job opportunities for those in critical need.
“ UConn is a place where you have a lot of opportunities. If you shoot for the stars, you get the support of this massive university behind you.â€
“It’s all kind of surreal,†says Butler, who was notified of the honor a few days ago. “If you were to ask me four years ago if I’d get something like this, I would have said it was completely outside the realm of possibility … I’m just thrilled. The unimaginable has already happened. I’m just hoping to continue that upward trajectory.â€
Butler maintained outstanding academic scholarship during his four years at UConn. A member of the Honors Program, he was named a University Scholar – UConn’s highest academic honor – in 2012, and was inducted into the University’s most prestigious leadership program, the Legacy Leadership Experience, the same year. In 2011, Butler received UConn’s Global Citizenship Award along with a Udall Scholarship, National Collegiate Honors Council Portz Fellowship, and Newman Civic Fellows award. He was a member of EcoHuskies, UConn’s Environmental Policy Advisory Committee, and Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honors society.
But it was Butler’s involvement in the UConn Chapter of Engineers Without Borders that will always stand out as a large part of his UConn legacy. When Butler arrived in Storrs as a freshman in 2008, the chapter had little support and only a handful of members. Butler quickly got to work restructuring the group, organizing events, filing paperwork, and raising funds. As chapter president, Butler helped develop field projects in Nicaragua and Ethiopia, succeeded in raising more than $70,000, expanded the group’s membership to more than 40, and established a strong international support network of more than 50 non-profits, NGO’s, and government, academic, and business professionals.
“Building Engineers Without Borders, USA-UConn was a personally transformative experience for me,†Butler said in his scholarship application. “Not only did it call me to leadership, but also it exposed me to extreme poverty for the first time when I visited our partner-community in Nicaragua: La Prusia.â€
During his first trip to Nicaragua, Butler said he went door-to-door speaking with residents living in the extremely difficult conditions. He saw how the community’s access to markets, jobs, schools, and other services was severely restricted due to the heavy flooding and erosion of a local road to nearby Granada. UConn’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders is currently working on rebuilding the mile-long road, a project that Butler hopes will be completed within the next two years.
In order to repair the road, Butler and his engineering team developed a novel soil stabilization technique and used a low-impact design to create an economical solution for La Prusia. During his work with Engineers Without Borders, Butler also founded the Humanitarian Water Purification Lab Group, which is dedicated to advancing sustainable water purification technologies for developing countries and emergency relief. Water purification technology is an area in which Butler has some experience. For his senior engineering capstone project, Butler designed and evaluated a water purification system for Bangladeshi waters contaminated with arsenic.
“Ethan made an indelible mark here as an innovator, researcher, and advocate for sustainable engineering solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental problems,†UConn President Susan Herbst wrote in a letter of endorsement submitted with Butler’s scholarship application. “Not only did he demonstrate the intellect and drive to master the scientific and technical knowledge he needed, but also he proved a remarkable leader, bringing together faculty, entrepreneurs, students, and community stakeholders to launch several international projects still ongoing today … He is fiercely smart, thoughtful, and pragmatic – a combination designed to make a tangible difference.â€
Butler says he is grateful for the enormous support he received from the University throughout his four years in Storrs. Nowhere was that more evident than in the final days of the Marshall Scholarship process, when Butler had to fight through an early season winter snowstorm to attend his practice interview. Stuck in Storrs after the storm, Butler stayed at the home of Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Sally Reis overnight to be sure he made it to Massachusetts the next day. Other individuals who braved foul weather or opened up their homes to help Butler through the application process include former Associate Vice Provost and Honors Program Director Lynne Goodstein, history professor Christopher Clark (chair of the scholarship nominating committee), Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Associate Professor Elizabeth Jockusch, and Chemical, Materials, and Biomolecular Engineering professor C. Barry Carter. Jeffrey McCutcheon, Northeast Utilities Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering, served as Butler’s academic mentor.
“I am deeply grateful for all the support I received from the University,†says Butler, whose mother is a UConn alum. “UConn is a place where you have a lot of opportunities. If you shoot for the stars, you get the support of this massive university behind you. I was able to do things I never imagined I would do.â€
Jill Deans, director of UConn’s Office of National Scholarships, says Butler exemplifies the best UConn has to offer and does so with humility and grace.
“UConn students have both the drive and the intellect to be national leaders in their fields,†Deans says. “Many, like Ethan, are also deeply humble. I am delighted that these qualities are being recognized in premier competitions like the Marshall. I’m excited to see what the future holds for Ethan. His aspirations are indistinguishable from the common good, and his talents are vast. This award will indeed help him maximize his potential to solve some of the most pressing social and environmental issues of our age.â€
Butler expects to begin his graduation experience overseas in fall 2013.
Two UConn professor, Drs. Leslie M. Shor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and Daniel J. Gage of Molecular & Cell Biology, have been awarded a Grand Challenges Explorations grant, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to conduct innovative global health and development research project intended to increase crop yields in developing countries through the expanded use of beneficial bacteria.
The University of Connecticut has partnered with Penn State Altoona in a collaborative research initiative, supported by a three-year, $650,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. The project is entitled “Electro-optical studies of nanoscale, geometrically asymmetric tunnel junctions for collection and rectification of light from infrared through visible” and will study the physics of a device, called a “rectenna,” that has the potential to dramatically advance solar power technology.
The research team includes UConn’s Dr. Brian Willis of Chemical Engineering; Drs. Gary Weisel, Brock Weiss and Darin Zimmerman (Altoona Physics); and emeritus professors Paul Cutler and Nicholas Miskovsky (Penn State Physics).
The rectenna will harness the visible portion of the solar spectrum, setting it apart from current technologies that are only capable of utilizing the infrared portion. The rectenna will comprise a nanosized antenna and ultra-fast tunnel diodes that collect and rectify solar radiation from infrared to visible. To manufacture such a device, the team developed a process called selective atomic layer deposition. This process makes the fabrication of arrays of thousands of nanoscopic, geometrically asymmetric tunnel junctions possible for the first time. The progress made possible by this research endeavor may increase solar power conversion technology efficiency, reduce costs, and create new economic opportunities. The project will enfold research and educational opportunities for high school, undergraduate and graduate students.
Dr. Anson Ma of the Chemical Engineering Program has been chosen to receive the “Distinguished Young Rheologist Award” from TA Instruments. The decision was made by a panel comprising some of the most established and respected scientists in the field of rheology. Dr. Ma and his research team will receive an equipment grant for a new rheometer valued at $50,000.
Dr. Ma joined UConn in August 2011 with a dual appointment in the Polymer Program at the Institute of Materials Science. The mission of his lab, Complex Fluids Laboratory, is to understand the rheology and processing of complex fluids (e.g., foams, emulsions, polymers, and biological fluids). Current research interests in Dr. Ma’s lab involve (i) exploring the interfacial rheology of nanoparticle-laden interfaces for creating ultra-stable emulsions and microcapsules, and (ii) understanding the flow dynamics of nanoparticles in simulated blood flows for improved cancer treatment (currently sponsored by the National Science Foundation through NSFGRF and EAGER awards).
TA Instruments – a subsidiary of Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) – is a leading manufacturer of analytical instruments for thermal analysis, rheology, and microcalorimetry. The company is headquartered in New Castle, Delaware, USA, and has direct operations in 23 countries. TA Instruments established the “Distinguished Young Rheologist” award to recognize product innovation and research into new materials and applications that expand the field of rheology, and to help accelerate the research of new academics.
The Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Program would like to recognize their respective faculty members who have recently been granted new funding initiatives.
Daniel Gage (Molecular and Cell Biology) and Leslie Shor, USDA/National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Microfluidic Studies of Signaling Between Rhizosphere Bacteria and their Predators, 2/12-2/14, $150,000.
Yu Lei, University of Connecticut Center for Science & Technology Commercialization, Naked Eye-based Standoff Detection of Explosives Using Novel Signal-Amplifying Nanocomposite and Hand-held UV Light, 8/12-12/13, $7,500.
Anson Ma, NSF, Understanding the Flow Dynamics and Transport of Nanoparticles in Simulated Tumor Blood Flows for Improved Cancer Treatment, 9/12-8/14, $150,000.
Jeffrey McCutcheon, NSF, Collaborative Research: Modified Reverse Osmosis Membranes for Forward and Pressure Retarded Osmosis, 8/12-7/15, $234,405.
Jeffrey McCutcheon, Chevron USA, Produced Water Treatment using Forward Osmosis; Phase 1: Membrane Performance Testing, 4/12-1/13, $45,000.
Mu-Ping Nieh, James Cole (Molecular and Cell Biology) and Douglas Adamson (Chemistry), NSF, MRI: Acquisition of a State-of-the-Art Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS) Instrument for Research and Education, 9/12-8/15, $568,398.
Richard Parnas and Tim Dowding (School of Business), University of Connecticut Center for Science & Technology Commercialization, Biomass Waste to Construction Board, 5/12-1/13, $40,840.
Ioulia Valla and Prabhakar Singh, Precision Combustion Inc., 13X Zeolite as Potential Molecular Sieve for Gas Phase Impurities Removal: Emphasis on the Characterization of the Zeolite, 7/12-7/12, $9,995.
Ioulia Valla and George Bollas, NSF, Turning Tars into Energy: Zeolites with Hierarchical Pore Structure for the Catalytic Cracking of Tars, 8/12-7/14, $188,698.
Dr. Anson Ma of the Chemical Engineering Program has recently received NSF EAGER award (#1250661) to understand the flow dynamics of nanoparticles in simulated blood flows. Nanoparticles show great promise in delivering anticancer drugs more directly to tumors, thereby reducing the toxic side effects to normal tissues. The passive accumulation of nanoparticles in tumors is due to the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, caused by the leaky nature of the tumor vasculature. In order to improve cancer treatment, there is an urgent need to understand the detailed mechanism of EPR.
Dr. Ma and his team will construct novel microfluidic devices that mimic blood bifurcation and leaky tumor blood vessels. The trajectory of nanoparticles in stimulated blood flows will then be characterized. The proposed research will strengthen our fundamental understanding of the EPR effect – the hallmark of passive targeted delivery of anticancer drugs. The success of the proposed research will also have far-reaching implications on the rational design of nanoparticles to allow more specific delivery of anticancer drug to tumors, thereby increasing patient comfort during cancer treatment and fulfilling a societal need.
The department would like to extend its congratulations to Leslie Shor for her recognition as a finalist in the 8th Annual Women of Innovation Awards Dinner hosted by the Connecticut Technology Council.
Every year, the Connecticut Technology Council recognizes the dedication and achievements of women in engineering, science and business in Connecticut.
Leslie Shor has been recognized in Academic Innovation and Leadership through her role as a leader and mentor of the Engineered Microhabitats Research Group for the University of Connecticut. She uses the artificial microbial habitats as a teaching tool to explore its effects on agriculture, biofuels and disease.
Wenzhao Jia receives Engineering Outstanding Senior Women Award. Wenzhao has proved to be an outstanding student with a distinguished academic background and exceptional research abilities. Her doctoral research concentrates on the preparation, characterization and sensing application of novel nnaostructured functional materials.
During her study in UConn, she has published seventeen peer-reviewed articles (seven first-authored and ten co-authored papers in highly prestigious journals such as Journal of Physical Chemistry C, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, etc.). In addition, she has published one co-authored book chapter. Another two first-authored research manuscripts and several co-authored research manuscripts are under preparation. Wenzhao Jia is also actively involved in mentoring undergraduate researchers.
The department would like to extend its congratulations to Leslie Shor for her recognition as a finalist in the 8th Annual Women of Innovation Awards Dinner hosted by the Connecticut Technology Council.